Business Lecture 1
Grey- My opinion and reflection
"Last year, we never had anything like this lecture subject and i am aware that we are more in demand for it this year but i think it something that we really needed. It's really opened my eyes into what industry is really like. No one has ever broke it down for us before and i think knowing the industry of business will radically imporve our skills ready to go out ito the industry and help for the placement year. i also think it will prepare me more and get me u to speed with what i need to do. after this first lecture i am going to arrange a meeting with peter Norris to discuss further the actions i should take as he himself is a marketing consultant meaning he knows what he would want from a designer as he has previously employed them, and this is infomration that would be helpful for me to know while going out loking for placements..."
Placements
What you need to consider when out in industry and to thin about costs and how to make money.
what the industry wants:
-independence
-self-thinking
-ability to analyse
Get out and talk to industry, engage with professionals!...
"in a few weeks i am going ot start looking for placements ad making connections with place that i would love to go to, peter has insired me to go into these places and ask what they want, see what they expect of me, as well as my portfolio, i think this will really help and prepare me giving me a better chance of gettng the placement i want."
Regret is always more painful than failure- film- “the dish”
With failure- you can learn
With regret -you’ll never know but you’ll always wonder
Don’t be scared of failing- prepare to pick your self up
"in the past when i fail at somehting or i thikn i cant d it, or the result isnt good enough, i have put myself down, thought about quitting and not done the best of my ability hearing what peter said about this, i realise that it all part of the industry, not everything you do is great and not verhting will be used but trying and earning will get you there in the end, i also heard this from a lot of guest lectures, people who themselves have been through this."
Year 2 is worth 1/3rd of degree
Year 3 is worth 2/3rd of degree
Ask questions-Engage with staff and peers
"last year i found some of my reifs difficult and i think the reson being wa that i never asked the queston i needed to or enaged with others to fin out their ideas and get inspiration and influence from them as well as my tutors, this year onmy first breif i have already started doing this and already its payin off as i am stating to feel more ocnfident about my work."
big firms Close applications in about a month
Look now!
"although i am not looking to go tothe big firms i plan t applyy or asmuch as possibe to give me as much chance at getting the opotunity to chose where i want to go. the reason i dont wat a big company like disney is because although they are really good placements, i beeive that big firms wont have as much tie for you and therefore you have the chance of not learing much, more intimate forms will ave tme to teach you and i would benefit from that. "
Ask- what do you want for me?
Go see them- Gives you an edge
"this was a part that really caught my attention. peter said to fin 5 companies that you would love to work for a build a relationship with them before you get to placement see them a few times as them questions and engage!"
What is a placement?
- university registered placement – a member of staff will assess the placement
- non validated- don’t pay uni, go for a year and come back
Don’t email- i agree with this, millions of people will e-mail it ust goes to the back of a pile, i want to see them face t face and give them an impression.
Business side
Question the client time and time again
"i have done som work for some clients and i have learnt that if you dont sk the right questions and all questions that you have you will find it hard todesign for them later as you have no idea what they want, more oftern than not they dont tel you therefore you have to ask everything you can think of to design rright the first time."
Product orientation: I make this product
Where is my market?
Market orientation: I have these assets
What do you want me to do with them?
Should all become market orientated!
"we were told that we should all be market orientated to be able t work and design for th mass market and audence our client is likley to ask for."
All different firms have to work together to be able to talk to the market
Competitors, customers, clients
National economy:
Geographic entity- a country
Private- sector- firms and companies
Public- sector- financed by tax
Government law
Global economy:
world trade, economic blocks
How things sit together
The problem is that they all sit in each other, everything from the market down is known as micro-economics and everything from the national economy up is seen as macro-economic. It looks simple but its messed up and even becomes dislocated.
Technology has had an effect
Social change- society’s are different they act in different ways
for example:
Chinese product designer designed slippers to be sold in Egypt- there were riots in the streets because the designer used Arabic that actually meant god, ambassador had to apologies
you have to understand the economy, Read newspapers, eventually you will have an understanding
You need to know where design is going and with those companies that are multi national, social problems have to be considered. for example colours could have strong connotations in countries such as black associated with death. factors like war, politics, natural disasters and cultural differences can make client markets evaporate over night.
So...when you get a brief from a firm
Look right to the global economy- if you understand what happening out there you are better set to service your client. Better set means that design will be more appropriate- so you can tell why the design is going to work
Basics of marketing: the 4 P's
Price
Product
Promotion
Place
Price:
A cost related to manufacture, delivery, package and admin
Profit element- mark ups on 100%
Loss leaders- you purposely make a loss to buy into a market loss in first batch of jumpers but made a profit on the second
Product:
Core product- what it must do accepted
Secondary product- why the consumer buys it
Customer will buy a product based on secondary reason, because it’s the right colour or height etc..
Have to understand why the consumer buys it, what do you have to push and what do you need to understand
"something i had never considered was the secondary product and after this lecture i will. It will help if you can underline the secondary product purpose as this will help you get into the minds of consumers and design for what they would want making your designs better, more marketable and explainable."
Promotion:
How you tell/ persuade the market about it
Advertising
Pricing
Offers
Packaging
Packaging can be more expensive, for example the perfume bottle compared to the actual perfume
It says a lot about the product, it’s an extension of the product
promotion side of business is vital to get right it can have big impacts good or bad for example Hotpoint nearly went bankrupt because of a type error on a promotional product. the tagline was "a free holiday with every washer" when it should have been something different. that typographical error cost the business to nearly go bankrupt they were contracted to what they had promised customer and were stuck in doing so.
Place:
where is it being made available?
Shop/internet?
Place of consumption? Office/home etc.…
UK- don’t have to pay if design isn’t used
Abroad- have to be paid even if not used but client owns copyright
What is design?
Creativity
Problem solving
2 types of mental processing:
Convergent thought- comes together and Focus's on the problem
Divergent thought – comes apart they Doesn’t focus on a problem and have an ability to look around the problem and think about side the box, solve the issue quickly. we don’t always know how we’ve done it. these people are us, the creatives. our metal strength is that we have an holistic viewpoint
Trigger>>>- brief
Design process
Idea generation- lots of people thinking of many ideas
Concepts- few ideas to finalise
Design concept- know where you’re going
Development- different versions
Embodiment- putting the piece together
Detail design- colour details, line measurements shape size etc.…
Finished article- finished product
Finance
Marketing- market research
YOU
Production
Technical
Idea generation:
Sit marketer down and find everything about it- quiz them
Most products are aimed at younger generation- people want to be 25 then try to stay there, we are in that sector.
Have confidence in my own views don’t be scared or question it
Get the confidence, and you will move forward
Concepts:
Come under pressure you have to withstand that
Design concept:
Think about what the design limits may be for you
Stay true to your design
If something goes wrong- its human error usually design error- be careful and don’t give in too easy
Keep record of discussions to cover your back when needed
Understand what is happening
Asses the situation
